Special Air Service
The Special Air Service (SAS) is the principal special forces unit of the British Army. A small and secretive institution, the SAS has served as a model for similar units fielded by other countries. They are widely regarded as the first-ever special forces unit, taking much of their inspiration and unorthodox tactics from the Chindits and the Long Range Desert Group during World War II. The SAS forms a significant part of the United Kingdom's Special Forces; the other parts are the Special Boat Service (SBS), the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) and the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). The SAS is so widely revered that it has served as a model for other elite special forces units, including the United States Army's Delta Force. Overview The SAS can trace its existence back to 1941, when British Army volunteers conducted raids behind enemy lines in the North African Campaign of World War II. When the group was first established, they invited The Boss on board as a special advisor, who helped put together Layforce and L Detachment. The dummy run on Heliopolis and the nighttime raids on German air bases in North Africa were the idea of The Boss. The motto of the SAS "Who Dares, Wins" was later adopted in tribute to her service. The Boss and Major David Oh, a.k.a. Zero, later formed the 22nd SAS Regiment together. Skull Face, a Hungarian assassin who had defected from the Soviet Union, was later recruited into the SAS, becoming one of their best field operators at the time. Impressed by his unique skills as an assassin and military tactician, Major Oh recruited Skull face into his unit and eventually promoted the skilled commando to become his XO. Zero would later comment to Naked Snake that U.S. soldiers were less able to adapt to surplus situations than SAS members. During the Malayan Emergency, the SAS utilized shotguns during jungle patrols, since encounters with the enemy often occurred when they least expected it. The SAS found the shotgun to be extremely effective delivering massive firepower in a short period of time.Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan (2004). The SAS's use of shotguns is commented on by Naked Snake and Sigint, during an optional radio conversation. During the Peace Walker Incident in 1974, some of the new recruits in the Militaires Sans Frontières claimed to have formerly served in the SAS.Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010). Mother Base > Staff MSF recruit: I’m former SAS… what you think I’m B.S.-ing you? McDonell Benedict Miller briefly served as a survival master in the Special Air Service.Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake - User's Manual, Konami Corporation (1990). Liquid Snake worked as a sleeper agent for the SIS while serving in the SAS in the First Gulf War, helping to track down enemy SCUD missiles, but was captured by hostile forces and kept as a prisoner of war until his rescue. The mercenaries Machinegun Kid and at least one member of the Four Horsemen were also former members of the SAS. Although not a member of the SAS himself, Solid Snake, while disguised as SEAL Team 10 member Lt. Jr. Grade Iroquois Pliskin, briefly quotes the motto for the SAS while being briefed by Peter Stillman on how to disarm C4, causing the latter to become slightly suspicious of his identity due to him not using any SEAL mottos, among other reasons.Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan (2001) Peter Stillman: Good luck to both of you and Pliskin. This is a dangerous one. // Iroquois Pliskin (Solid Snake): “Who Dares, Wins.” // Peter registers Pliskin’s words wit sic some suspicion. // Peter: If anything comes up, let me know. My frequency is 140.25. // Pliskin: Good luck, kid. I’ll see you later. // He pats Raiden on the back. // Pliskin: Semper fi. // He utters the USMC motto then leaves the kitchen. Peter watches Pliskin as he walks out of earshot. // Peter: That’s man’s no SEAL. I don’t even think he’s a Navy man. // Raiden: What? // He is taken aback by Peter’s words. // Peter: Semper fi... Marine Corps talk. // To Peter encounter 14 movie demo 4 // P014_14_Mo4 Peter encounter 14 movie demo 4 (Pliskin) Illustration visual of Pliskin // Visual of the assault team, then of Pliskin. Visual of Pliskin(flashback) ...Snake with his headphones(flashback) // Peter: Normally, team leaders stay in the CP(Command Post) and give orders with these headphones. And as far as I know, SEAL’s keep their officers away from the field. // Raiden: … Peter: And -- ‘Who Dares, Wins’ is a motto of the British Special Air Service. // Raiden: Is he one of the terrorists then? // Peter: No, somehow I don’t think so. If there’s someone to suspect, I’d put my money on you. // To Peter encounter 15 polygon demo 7 // P014_15_P07 Peter encounter 15 polygon demo 7 (MC+KF) Kitchen, Strut C personnel quarters // Peter stares fixedly at Raiden // Raiden: I’m –- // Peter laughs at Raiden’s confusion. // Peter: Just take care of those bombs for now. Former members * Major Zero * The Boss * McDonell Benedict Miller * Machinegun Kid * At least one member of the Four Horsemen * Liquid Snake * Skull Face * The Viscount Behind the scenes The original Japanese MSX2 manual for Metal Gear describes Big Boss as having been a former member of the SAS. However, this information was disregarded in the MSX2 manual for Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, and later the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database, so it is assumed to no longer be canon. See also * SEAL Team 10 Notes and references es:SAS Category:Military Groups